Mastopathy refers to benign breast tumors. With this disease, a pathological proliferation of glandular and connective tissue occurs, as a result of which seals and cysts are formed. Sick 65% of women in the reproductive period.
Causes of mastopathy
The cause of this disease is a violation of the metabolism of hormones, usually genital, in the female body. Also, mastopathy can occur against the background of stress, adnexitis, thyroid disease. The predisposition to the occurrence of this pathology is inherited.
What is mastopathy: types
To fully understand what mastopathy is, it is necessary to understand the types of this pathology. There are two different groups - nodular and
diffuse cystic mastopathy. With nodular mastopathy, a node appears in the mammary gland, and with diffuse, an excessive number of small nodes appear. This division makes it possible to determine the tactics of treatment. The nodal form of mastopathy can be the cause of a malignant tumor of the mammary gland and therefore it is necessary to carry out diagnostics in order to exclude the oncological process.
The diagnosis of "mastopathy" is made after the diagnosis - mammography, ultrasound and biopsy.
What is mastopathy: symptoms
- Pain. Mastopathy, as a rule, is accompanied by pain in the mammary gland. The pain can be aching, dull in nature, manifested in the form of heaviness and discomfort, especially in the premenstrual period. The pain can be local or give to the arm, scapula. It can also be permanent or periodic. But there are also women in whom mastopathy clinically proceeds without any sensations. This is due to different pain thresholds. Pain occurs due to compression of nerve fibers and swelling of the connective tissue;
- Seal An independent examination of the mammary gland reveals a seal with fuzzy contours
- Enlargement and pain during palpation of axillary lymph nodes. It is observed in 15% of women with mastopathy;
- Visual enlargement of the mammary gland. The engorgement of the gland resulting from venous stagnation and swelling of the connective tissue;
- Discharge from the nipple. Allocations can be plentiful or occur only when you click on the mammary gland. They are transparent, whitish, greenish or brown. A threatening symptom is spotting. But with any discharge from the nipple, you should immediately contact a mammologist;
- A node in the mammary gland. The node has clear contours. Its dimensions may vary.
Cystic mastopathy: treatment
Therapy begins with the elimination of the cause of the formation of mastopathy. Of the common remedies, vitamin therapy is used.
Treatment scheme for mastopathy:
- hormonal drugs;
- antiestrogens;
- oral contraceptives to regulate the menstrual cycle;
- analgesics for pain;
- homeopathic remedies.
With the proliferative form, a sectoral resection of the gland is performed with a histological examination of the material obtained. If the biopsy reveals the cancer cells, then amputation of the breast is necessary, and if it is benign, then the treatment is extremely conservative.
When wondering what mastopathy is, it should be remembered that this is not a precancerous disease. Only some forms of fibroadenomatosis are accompanied by severe proliferation of atypical cells, which may be the cause of the oncological process in the mammary gland.